Livin' In The Chonx

Xiang La Xia 香辣虾
• ~20-30 RMB/person (order by the pot, small/medium/large)

Shrimp lover’s rejoice, for this was made just for you. Just imagine a mountain of fresh jumbo sized shrimp, immersed in a hot bath of oil and spices until they are transformed into tender, perfectly pink curls. The aroma alone is enough to make your mouth water, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll burn yourself once or twice trying to devour them faster than they can cool. It’s tempting to refer to this as Shrimp Hot Pot, as it is basically Gan Guo with shrimp. As is common practice among Chinese restaurants all over China (and the more authentic ones back home) the whole shrimp is thrown into the pot, tentacles and all. But at the better restaurants they butterfly them first, making them considerably more convenient to eat. Be forewarned, this is usually extremely spicy.

The two most popular chains in Chongqing are Ken Mei Xiang La Xia 肯美香辣虾 and 2048 Xiang La Xia 2048香辣虾. The environment and quality of the service and food vary a great deal from one location to another, so find the location nearest you and glance around to see if it suits you. Consider trying this as a lunch option, as it is a relatively light meal, and the restaurants are much less crowded during the day.